How Long?
by AuthorAnonymous45
Summary: The gAang comes back to the Fire Nation for Zuko's Birthday, and old flames are ignighted once more. But how long can these two keep their feelings from eachother?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N- Hey people. This is my first Zutara. Reveiws are greatly appreciated as well as constructive criticism. Flames however will not be tolerated. If you want to flame me, then you try writing a story. That is all.**

**Chapter 1**

"Hurry up Katara! We're ganna be again!" Sokka yelled from the living room. "Would you stop yelling? I'm ready," Katara said as she walked into the main room.

"Well…?" she asked as she twirled around. She was wearing an open back, strapless dress. It was as blue as her eyes and a slit up the leg. Her hair was done up in an elegant bun with a few stray pieces framing her faces.

Sokka just shrugged and turned to leave.

Katara rolled her eyes and followed. "Your such a guy," she said when she caught up to her brother.

Sokka shrugged again and opened the door of the carriage and said, "I know I am sis," as he helped her in.

For a while after the carriage had rolled away the two were silent. Katara gazed out the window onto the beautiful countryside of the fire nation.

She sighed. She never in a million years would she thought she'd live to see the day when she would be riding in a royal fire nation carriage, on her way to the palace to Fire Lord Zuko's birthday party.

She sighed again. Zuko had been her enemy for so long, but that all changed when he decided to join them and help defeat his father. After that the two of them had become friends, willing to risk there lives for each other.

It was so easy.

So black and white.

Until one day, she had looked up and there in front of her was no longer her best friend. There standing in front of her was this mysterious boy with tousled, black hair and liquid gold eye.

"You okay, sis?" Sokka asked concern in his voice.

"Ya I'm fine. Just thinking."

Sokka still didn't look convinced. Katara couldn't blame him. Because the truth was, she was terrified.

Terrified of seeing those gold eyes again.

Terrified of seeing him after a year apart.

Terrified that when she saw those eyes, she would melt. Just like she had the day she had fallen

But she couldn't let Sokka or any one else know that. So she just smiled and said, "I'm fine. Really."

He bought it.

They spent the rest of the ride talking and joking.

But when they got to the palace, Katara could feel her heart start to beat faster when she saw

Zuko walking out to great them.

"Hey Sparky!" Sokka greeted him as he got out of the carriage.

Zuko gave a little chuckle, _some things never change_ he thought.

But his laughter died when he looked up and saw the most beautiful thing emerge from the carriage.

Katara steeped out of the carriage but tripped, sending her tumbling face first to the ground. But instead of feeling the coolness of the gravel she felt a warm arm around her waist.

_It could just be Sokka_, she thought, no hoped. But the universe is a funny thing and when she looked up blue met gold. And she melted.

"T…thanks," she managed to say. Zuko gave her a small smile, "No problem," he said as he put her back on her feet.

An awkward silence fell between the two, only to be sliced by Sokka, "Hey, you two coming or what?"

Katara gave Zuko a small smile before heading after her brother.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 **

The ballroom was breathtaking! Katara just stood there admiring it. It was decorated in fire nation colors, reds, gold's, and oranges, but it was beautiful nonetheless.

She spotted her brother of to the side with Aang and Toph. She walked over and the young Avatars face lit up. Katara sighed; she knew Aang had feelings for her. Heck EVERYONE knew that Aang had feelings for her.

But…she could never love him the way he loved her. To her Aang was just a little brother, nothing more. Still she smiled at him.

"Hey sis," Sokka called when she was a few feet away. She rolled her eyes at her brother and walked the rest of the way to the group.

They talked for a while.

Toph talked about how she had tried to go home and talk to her parents, but when they hadn't understand she left and had been traveling with Aang.

Aang talked about how he was so busy even a year after the war settling little disputes in the Earth Kingdom. All the while smiling at Katara, but her mind was elsewhere.

Katara just laughed at responded at the appropriate times during her friends tales, but truth be told she was only half listening. Her mind was still on the encounter that had happened outside. She hated to admit it, but she had melted all over again. She had thought no more like hope that their time apart would extinguish the flame, but it had only made the spark easier to ignite.

"Katara, you okay?" she was snapped out of her own thoughts when she heard Aang's concerned voice. "Ya, I'm fine. Just a lot on my mind I guess." Aang just shrugged it off and continued telling a story about how he and Bumme went for a ride in the delivery shots at Omashu.

Katara thanked any God that Aang was so innocent. She didn't need anyone questioning her right now.

Just then the room got quiet and the grand doors opened. The music started to play soft and slow as the Fire Lord walked in. Everyone in the room bowed as he passed. After Zuko had made his entrance everyone went back to what they were doing, and Zuko came over to their little group.

"Hey Sparky!" Sokka greeted once again. A few people turned heads at the informality but Zuko didn't seem to mind. "Hey guys," he greeted everyone.

They talked for a while until Sokka cleared his throat. Everyone in their group stopped talking and looked at him. "I have an announcement to make," he said then he took out a necklace, and Katara gave a little squeak. Sokka laughed, "I'm going to propose to Suki," he said with all the confidence in the world.

Congratulations' went on for a long time and Katara wandered away to sit down. Not a minute later the band started playing a slow song. Zuko came up in front of her, "May I have this dance?" he asked and extended his hand. Katara didn't respond right away but then placed her hand in his, "Of course," she said as he lead her onto the dance floor.

They started dancing, they were totally in sync physically, but what they didn't know was that they were also in sync mentally.

Zuko's mind raced with possible responses she would give him, and was relieved when she said yes. It was so easy dancing with her; she wasn't much of a talker unless she had something to say. She just wore blank look on her face. He couldn't read her. It was killing him. _Dimmit._

Katara's heart speed up when he extended his hand. She thought for a moment and she could have sworn she saw a flicker of…something cross the young fire Lords face, but not a moment later she said yes and they were dancing. Whatever she had seen in his eyes was gone. This terrified her. What did it mean? Now he just wore a blank expression. She couldn't read him. It was killing her. _Dimmit_

The song ended and they went their separate ways. As soon as he was out of sight, Katara ran out into the garden. Her heart beating fast and her face hot. She was so stupid. She knew it. She had fallen, hard. Again.

As soon as she was out of sight Zuko ran out into the garden. His heart beating fast and his face hot. He was so stupid. He knew it. He had fallen, hard. Again.

And from opposite sides of the garden they both had the same thought.

_Dimmit!_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N- Hey guys! So I struggled with witch way to go with this chapter but ultimately I just started typing and this came out. But I'm really happy with it.**

**Chapter 3**

They other stayed in the garden a little while longer. Both oblivious to each others presence. They were too consumed in their own thoughts.

_Why did I come tonight? I knew this would happen. I'm such an idiot._ Katara thought angrily as she paced on her side of the garden.

_I should've known that this would happen. I mean it's not like this would just go away. _He let out a sigh. _I should've listened to Uncle._

They both stayed like that, thinking of the past.

_Why did this even happen in the first place?_ Katara thought bitterly. _I had just forgiven him. He just became my friend. Then out of nowhere… THIS! _She let out a sigh.

_Why did this even happen in the first place? _Zuko thought bitterly. _I had just earned her trust. She just became my friend. Then out of nowhere…THIS! _He let out a sigh.

Still ignorant that the other was there they both closed there eyes and with one last thought they went back inside.

_Why me?_

As soon as Zuko stepped back into the room, he was immediately surrounded by noblemen and people wishing him a happy birthday. He had to admit that he was kind of grateful for the distraction. But even with all the people he still caught sight of her ocean blue eyes as she looked up from talking to her brother.

As soon as Katara stepped back into the room, she spotted her brother and went over to talk to him. Looking for any distraction to keep her mind off things. But even with her brother's loud mouth and stories about nothing in particular, she still caught sight of his liquid gold eyes through all the people surrounding him.

Blue eyes met gold, but only for a second. But it was enough to cause unwanted feelings to come creeping back to the surface.

Zuko quickly looked away and tried to sound interested about the story one of the noblemen was telling him. But his mind kept drifting back to her eyes, a deep, never ending ocean.

Katara quickly looked away and tried to be interested in the story her brother was telling her. But her mind kept drifting back to his eyes, deep pools of liquid gold.

"Katara you okay?" Sokka asked, jolting her back to reality. "Fine. Why?" she asked. Sokka shrugged, "You just seem distant, that's all." She smiled at her brother.

Just then another slow song played and out of the corner of her eye, Katara could see Aang walking towards them. "Hey Katara. Hey Sokka," he greeted then turned to Katara. "Katara, can I have this dance?" he asked. She could hear his voice shacking. Despite the fact that she didn't feel the same way for him as he did for her, she said yes and let him lead her to the dance floor.

She knew she was probably taking advantage of poor Aang. Truth be told she only really wanted a distraction to keep her mind from floating back to _him_.

Zuko saw as the avatar lead Katara on to the dance floor and couldn't help but feel a little jealous. He knew he was being stupid. I mean it was blatantly obvious to everyone within a mile radius that Aang liked Katara as more than a friend, but he still felt it as he watched as they danced.

When the song ended Katara had kissed the young avatars cheek causing him to turn red. She had to hold back a laugh as she walked over to where Toph was standing.

"Hey, Sugerqueen," Toph greeted as Katara got closer.

"Hey Toph," she said as she stood next to the blind girl.

"So, why's your heart beating faster than it should?" Toph said, causing Katara to chock on her own saliva.

"What do you mean?" she asked, trying to sound innocent.

"I mean that I could feel your heart beat from across the room, when you were dancing with Aang. Do you like him?" she asked in a small voice.

"What! No, no. Aangs like a little brother to me.

"Oh, well I thought since you r heart was beating faster than normal…" Toph kept talking but Katara wasn't paying attention. She had just looked into those gold eyes for the third time that night.

Zuko was walking around, talking to various people. But when he heard the song end he looked up to see that Katara was now standing by Toph. And when she suddenly looked up, his eyes met her blue ones for the third time that night.

This time however, he did not look away immediately. He looked, and waited to see what she would do. And was surprised when she mumbled something and walked off to the gardens.

"I need some air," Katara muttered, not braking eyes contact with Zuko until she turned around and started walking towards the gardens.

She sat on a nearby bench and just sat, with her head in her hands. Only thinking about those gold eyes that had the ability to make her heart melt with one look.

Back in the ball room Zuko watched as Katara retreated and followed after her only a minute later. He found her sitting on a stone bench, with her head in her hands and al he could think was…

_She's beautiful._

Katara, hearing a rustle of leaves looked up, and for the fourth time that night. Blue met gold.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N- Hey! Sorry for the delay. School and such have kept me busy. **

**This chapter will be dedicated to one of my dear friends. Her fan girl has died. RIP Regan's **

**fan girl**

**Chapter 4**

_And for the fourth time that night blue met gold._

They stared at each other for a long time. Both entranced in the others gaze.

Zuko could see so much in Katara's eyes. Hurt. Guilt. Love. Confusion. He didn't understand any of these. Except the love. He knew it was meant for Aang. It was blatantly obvious but he hoped it wasn't true, but seeing love in her eyes confirmed it.

Katara gazed into Zuko's eyes. As she stared she became aware of two things. 1) She did love this man (for he could no longer be referred to as a boy) 2) She could never let anyone know.

Yet as she gazed into his eyes she could swear she saw love in his eyes, but for whom. Mia probably. Still she had to admit that a part of her wished it was for her.

As Zuko stared at Katara he became aware of two things. 1) He loved the women (for she could no longer be referred to as a girl) in front of him. 2) He could never let anyone know.

Yet he was still puzzled over the emotions he saw in her eyes. Hurt. What could that mean? Guilt. He had no idea why Katara, of all people, would be feeling guilt. Love. He thought that was for Aang, still he'd be lying if he didn't hope that it was him. Confusion. That was the most confusing. What was she confused about?

Finally she broke the silence "What are you doing out here. Aren't you supposed to be wooing every girl in sight." she said.

_Same old Katara,_ Zuko thought. "I just needed some air. What are you doing?"

She sighed before answering, "Same I guess."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He said as he sat next to her on the stone bench.

She let out a half sigh half laugh, "I don't know. I guess I just needed a break." she shrugged.

They stayed in silence for a while, but it wasn't an awkward one. They simply sat, enjoying each others company and the beautiful garden.

Katara lied back tilted her face towards the moon.

_She looks like a spirit _Zuko thought. The way the moon hit her face made her look otherworldly.

Without thinking he leaned over and kissed her cheek.

She looked up, but not in surprise. No, she wore an expression of…peace.

"What was that?" she asked.

Zuko blushed slightly. "I don't really know," he said truthfully.

She let out a little laugh, and for a second Zuko was terrified he had made a huge mistake until Katara leaned over, turning his head to face her.

Their faces so close he could feel her breath when she spoke. "Same old Zuko," she said and closed the distance.

The kiss was sweet and shy at first but as soon as Zuko figured out what was happening, he went to deepen the kiss. HE was slow at first, running his tough across her bottom lip.

He wasn't sure if he should be doing this.

_She can never be your's _one side of his brain argued.

_Shut up and kiss her!_ The other part said.

But all his thought went away the minute she opened her mouth to him.

All the voices in his head, the good and the bad, went away as he deepened the kiss.

They were too busy to notice someone else enter the garden. It was only when the mystery person cleared his throat that the two separated, both breathing heavily.

They weren't sure how, but sometime during there kiss Katara had ended up in Zuko's lap.

The person cleared their throat again ad the pair turned to see who it was.

Immediately the jumped apart.

"Aang?"

**A/N- Oh I love it. Hope you like it. I had fun writing it at 2 in the morning.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N- Hey! So sorry this took so long. I got busy with school and then I kinda forgot about it for a while. It wasn't until **_**For God so loved the World **_**lest me a review that I remembered, So thank you!.**

**Ch.5**

"Aang!"

The pair broke apart quickly. Katara regained her composure first "Aang, did you need something?"

"Sokka's looking for you." he said and left without another word.

The pair sat in silence for a minute before Katara left and headed back inside to find her brother.

Zuko sat there a while longer thinking…

_What just happened?_

Katara made her way through the crowded room in search of her brother.

_What just happened?_

"Tara!"

She turned around dreading it would be Aang or worse Zuko! But when she turned around it was only Sokka.

"Hey, I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"Yeah I just went out for some air."

"Okay. I just wanted to tell you that Zuko suggested that we stay at the palace."

Katara stared in shock, "When did this happen?" she finally asked.

"Just now," Sokka said, oblivious to the color draining from Katara's face.

"Katara," Katara snapped out of her thoughts. "That sounds great. Do you know where Zuko is now?"

Sokka, still oblivious just shrugged.

"I'm ganna go find him."

"Okay," he said distantly as Suki came up.

Katara wondered around a while before sitting at one of the empty tables.

"Pretty girl like you shouldn't be sitting alone."

Katara looked up expecting to see Aang, but fate had a twisted sense of humor and when she looked up instead of seeing gray she saw gold.

"Hey," she managed to choke out.

"Hey."

They shared an akward silence which was broken when the band started playing.

"Can I have this dance?" Zuko asked and reached out his hand. "Sure," she said and after a moments hesitation took his hand.

They danced in comfortable silence for a while until… "What was that out there?" Zuko asked.

_Where did that come from…Oh who am I kidding of course he's ganna ask about that._

She didn't answer for a while and Zuko began to panic.

_Why isn't she saying anything?_

"That…was nothing," she said just as the song ended. Before Zuko could react Katara ran out of the ballroom.

Zuko stood there shocked, looking after her. _What was that about?_ He eventually broke out of his trance and started after her. But was stopped by a crowd of nobleman. He was preoccupied the rest of the night. But he could not stop thinking about the kiss and Katara's reaction.

Katara ran down the empty corridor for some time until she broke down, leaning on the nearest wall and sliding down to the floor. She buried her face in her hands but refused to cry. _What was that about?_ She thought.

"Excuse me," said a voice. Katara looked up into a very different pair of golden eyes. "Would you happen to be Katara by any chance?" the women asked.

"Yes," Katara replied timidly. She felt uncomfortable that a total stranger was seeing her so vulnerable.

"I'm Ursa, Zuko's mother," and suddenly Katara was on her feet. "Yes, I'm sorry."

Ursa just laughed, "No need to be sweetheart. I was just passing through and wondered what was wrong."

Ursa seemed sweet. Katara could tell where Zuko got his kindness from.

"I'm fine, thank you. Just confused I guess." she shrugged like nothing mattered.

Ursa smiled, "Okay, you'll be staying here right?"

"How did you…"

Ursa laughed, "Zuko told me. He's a really sweet boy you know."

"Yeah he is." Katara said her voice far off.

Ursa smiled a knowing smile, "Let me show you to your room."

Katara followed the women to her room. It was fabulous! There was a table in the center of the room, a huge armoire, a huge canapé bed draped with red silk curtains. But what caught Katara's eye was the balcony. It had a beautiful view of the fire nation. It was beautiful!

"Thank you," Katara thanked Ursa who left with a smile. But as she reached the door she turned around, "You know Katara you can come talk to me whenever you need to." And with that she left.

Katara was alone. She didn't know what to do or think. She eventually decided to deal with it later.

She took a hot bath and climbed into bed and eventually fell into a blissful state of unconsciousness.

Ursa left Katara's room with a smile on her lips. She liked this girl she decided. And from what she had seen earlier that night, Zuko liked her too.

She smiled, she was happy that Zuko had found someone as sweet as Katara but from what else she saw earlier that night, they needed a little push in the right direction.

Her smile grew bigger as she made her way to Zuko's room, stopping briefly at her room to get something before continuing to her son's room.

_This might be meddling on my part_ she thought with a frown _but it's worth it_ and her frown turned into a smile as she knocked on the Fire Lord's door.

**A/N- Yes, Ursa is going to be part of this story I've decided. She will be quiet a big part in getting Zuko and Katara together and will also act as the mother figure to Katara. I know it's not much but hopefully it will be enough to get you through. I have big plans for the next chapter. And things start heating up.**


	6. Chapter 6

A/N- hey guys I am soooooo soooooo sooooo extremely sorry for such the looooooong wait. In all honesty a mixture of things kept me away from the keyboard; one was the lack of plot bunnies attacking my dreams. Another was this thing called the "real world". I don't care for it much really(the story line really sucks) . Anyway I hope this makes up for it.

Chapter 6

Knock Knock

Zuko was pacing his room when he heard the knock on his door. Maybe it's Katara, he thought bitterly. Why did she run away like that? He was lost in thought as he opened the door so he didn't notice who it was until they spoke.

"Hi sweetie."

Zuko snapped out of his head when he heard his mother's voice. "Hi mom," he said and hugged her. Zuko stepped aside and Ursa came into the room.

"It was a lovely party dear," she said as she sat in down on the edge of the bed.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself mom," he said as he sat next to her.

"Your friends seem lovely," she said.

"They are."

"Especially Katara," a smile playing on her lips.

"She is," Zuko said a dreamy look on his face. Ursa's smile grew bigger, she was right.

"With all the commotion going on at the party I didn't have time to give you your birthday present," she said and opened her clasped hands revealing a cloth band with a round pendant that was inscribed with the sun setting over the ocean.

"It's beautiful," Zuko said

"This was the engagement necklace your father gave me," she said, "I thought you should have it." Ursa took Zuko's hand and placed the necklace in it before giving it a squeeze and letting go.

Zuko was still looking at the necklace in his hand he didn't notice his mom had left. "But why…" Zuko looked up to see that his mother had gone. He let out a sigh and got up to get ready for bed.

Across the palace Katara was also getting ready for bed, thinking about her conversation she had had with Ursa.

She was restless. She had too much energy to go to sleep. So instead she walked out onto the balcony.

The view was breathtaking! The Fire Nation was truly a beautiful place.

She sighed and rested her elbows on the banister. There was a slight breeze that blew her hair back and cooled her skin.

"I could stay out here forever," she said to no one.

She stayed there, staring at the vastness of the Fire Nation for quite some time. Eventually she felt herself nodding off so she went back inside, leaving the door to the balcony open, and crawled into bed.

As Katara drifted off to sleep her mind thought back to what Ursa had said earlier, "You know Katara you can come talk to me whenever you need to." It was sweet of the woman to offer Katra thought barley on the edge of consciousness.

Katra thought that it might be nice to talk with the woman and get some advice concerning well everything. She had never had a mother, as hers was brutally taken away from her, so it might be niceto talk to one for once in her life.

She laughed a little at the irony of the whole situation but soon concluded that all things considered she was happy that things had panned out the way that they had. She realized that she wouldn't change a moment of her life.

Yes she might have had a happy life if her mother had not been killed and the three of them stayed together while her father fought the war,but she didn't think that she would be as happy as she currently was if that were to have happened.

She really was grateful for everything that had happened in her life and for all the people that she met that she would have not otherwise. She was grateful for all of the places she had visited. And now she was somewhere she never thought she would be, the Fire Nation, and she was perfectly happy because she was celebrating with one of her friends.

Katara stopped as she thought of Zuko. Truth be told she didn't exactly know where she stood on that particular subject at all. After his coronation Katara had to go back to the North Pole to train waterbenders and o she didn't get to say goodbye to him.

She had gone more than a year without seeing him and quite honestly she hadn't really given him much thought while she was away. So when she received the invitation for his birthday she was completely fassed. At first she was happy that she would be able to see one of her friends again, but as the days drawing closer to when she would actually have to go she had started to feel increasingly more and more anxious.

She was of course still happy that she would get to see Zuko aain after so long but there was also a feeling in her stomach that wouldn't go away. She had ignored it the whole way to the Fire Nation, but know that she was alone, and after everything that had happened earlier that night, she was forced to face up that maybe she might feel more for Zuko than just friendship.

The thought both made her really happy and really scared. She didn't know what to do.

She thought back to Ursa's offer and decided that she would take the woman up on it tomorrow if she could. It was too late to be thinking about this kind of thing so she gave up and drifted off to sleep.

Likewise at the other end of the palace something similar was going on in the mind of the young Fire Lord, but he too eventually fell into sleep.


End file.
